Amid the rolling fields, red sands, and sea-kissed air of Cavendish, stories have always taken root. This is the very land that sparked the imagination of L.M. Montgomery—and now, it’s your turn to be inspired.
Readers, writers, and storytellers are invited to join us at the Cavendish Literary Festival
The Cavendish Literary Festival returns for its second year! Four days of storytelling, creativity, and community in the charming Cavendish Countryside.
Among intimate venues and the quiet beauty of the land that inspired Anne of Green Gables, we’ll once again celebrate the voices that shape us and inspire the next generation of stories.
Expect thought-provoking panels with renowned authors, inspired conversations, soul-stirring workshops, and moments that remind us of the transformative power of literature.
Featuring Mary Walsh and an exceptional lineup of Canadian literary voices
Mary Walsh
Mary Walsh created and starred in This Hour Has 22 Minutes , CBC’s wildly popular take on current affairs. The series earned her many of her numerous Gemini awards and showcased her dynamic range of characters, including the flagrantly outspoken ‘Marg Delahunty’.
Walsh wrote, produced and starred in the Gemini award winning series Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, which returned to CBC in 2017 as a feature length presentation called A Christmas Fury, with Walsh and the original cast reprising their roles. In 2017 she released her debut novel, a Canadian best- seller, Crying For The Moon. She currently writes, directs and stars in The Missus Downstairs, for which she has been nominated for multiple Canadian Screen Awards.
Walsh’s recent TV credits include recurring roles on MGM’s The Institute, Syfy’s Resident Alien, CBC’s Hudson & Rex, and Little Dog, for which she was nominated for a 2020 Canadian Screen Award, as well as numerous guest appearances on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Select feature film credits include The Grand Seduction and Closet Monster (Official selections at TIFF 2014 and 2015, respectively), Mambo Italiano, Happy Place (dir. Helen Shaver), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2021, Deaner ’89 (alongside Paul Spence, Will Sasso, and Kevin McDonald), and Dancing On The Elephant (alongside Sheila McCarthy), for which she won the 2025 Joan Orenstein Award for Outstanding Performance at the Atlantic International Film Festival.
Outside of the film, TV and theatre world, Mary is an outspoken advocate for mental health and addiction awareness as a spokesperson for Bell Let’s Talk. She’s a staunch supporter of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, and lends her time and voice to the CNIB, St. Joseph’s Hospital and CAMH.
Among her many awards and doctorates, Mary is the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performing Arts, and the CSA’s Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in television acting.
Voices of 2026
Donna Jones Alward
Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings since 2006. Her historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire. Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find her online at donnajonesalward.com.
Antonio Michael Downing
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of Saga Boy and Stars in My Crown, and host of CBC’s The Next Chapter, where he interviews authors and columnists. He spends his time writing, making music, and honouring his grandmother’s legacy. Black Cherokee is his powerful and highly anticipated debut novel.
Linden MacIntyre
Linden MacIntyre is a bestselling novelist and award-winning journalist. His novel The Bishop’s Man won the Giller Prize. A former fifth estate co-host, he has authored acclaimed fiction and nonfiction, including The Wake. He lives in Toronto and summers in Cape Breton with his wife, Carol Off.
Events
For authors, writers, and readers alike
Authors
Share your work, connect with fellow storytellers, and celebrate the power of words in a community that loves literature as much as you do.
Writers
Spark your creativity with seaside workshops, intimate panels, and inspiration around every corner.
Readers
Get lost in stories, meet your favourite authors, and discover new reads in the place that inspired Anne of Green Gables.